Mini Review: Mario Odyssey

"It's time to jump up in the air, Jump up, don't be scared, Jump up and your cares will soar away, And if the dark clouds start to swirl, Don't fear, don't shed a tear, 'cause I'll be your 1UP Girl!!"

Welcome to Mario Odyssey Mini Review and as you can tell I'm in love with this catchy song. I should have done a review of this game sooner but I had to borrow my partner's Switch. He was playing this game for such a long time that it's only been when PUBG (Player Unknown Battleground) came out that I've been able to get a chance to play Mario Odyssey. This is one of my first games I have properly played on the Switch. I'm doing a Mini Review of this game as there is so much to talk about and there is a lot more to do after you complete the Main Story line.

Story

The story of Mario Odyssey is set in the sky above Peach's Castle and you are trying to rescue Princess Peach (wait isn't this every Mario story) but with a twist. Bowser is trying to take Peach away so that he can marry her against her will. Mario tries to initially stop Bowser from taking Peach but fails. A hat like creature we come to known as Cappy aids Mario to save Peach and Tiara (the Tiara on Peach's Head). Our Journey now begins with Mario and Cappy collecting Moons to help start up the Odyssey so that they can travel to various Kingdoms in order to save Peach and Tiara. Cappy has a special ability that allows Mario to take control of some enemies/objects to reach their objective.

A nice twist to a well-known storyline for a Mario game which takes it to whole different level. Introducing new characters like Cappy and Tiara is refreshing to the storyline. The themes were unique and exciting which made me excited to explore and go to the next kingdoms. The storyline is somewhat linear but you have an option to carry on with the story or explore for Moons in your current kingdom/previous kingdoms. This allows players to take their time and emerge yourself into the Mario world. I would strongly advise to explore these kingdoms to get the full experience of this game. The main thing I love about the story is that the game has lots to offer after you complete the story. I still don't want to put this game down even though I finished the main story.

Gameplay

Adding Cappy to mix was an excellent idea from Nintendo to make the gameplay different. I love the creativity of Cappy's character and their ability. I was surprised when I was able to control an enemy in the game and to me it was a new concept to Mario which I didn't think could happen. Cappy could also be used to climb to higher places by either jumping on him or taking control of electricity and much more. Overall Cappy has made this game for me and I just can't imagine Mario Odyssey with it him.

I think one of my favourite parts in the game was where you could play as 8 Bit Mario to get another Moon. I haven't had much of an opportunity to play any of the Retro Video games so to be able to have a taste was great. The Kingdoms have various mini games in order to collect the Moons for the Odyssey. The Moons are essentially like the Stars in Super Mario 64 and you can collect them in various areas. There are so many to collect that when I thought I couldn't find anymore I was proven wrong. The graphics in each area were beautiful and it made more fulfilling to go exploring to find the Moons. I felt in some cases that I found it really easy to collect them but it could be that Nintendo wanted to make it easier for first time players to the franchise. I have played several Mario games and I have learnt to expect to search thoroughly to find the Moons. That being said it isn't always easy to find/collect them and it's always worth going back to previous areas. In Mario Odyssey you can change Mario's outfit including Cappy which made me more excited to see how the outfits look in the various Kingdoms.

The Mini Bosses fitted well into each area and I enjoyed learning the patterns of each of the bosses. The creativity that was put into these bosses is unreal. There is literally isn't anything not to like about them and they are just graphically beautiful. They made me even more exciting for the main finale and to see how they will challenge me. I haven't used motion controls on this game and I also haven't played it on the TV using the controller. I have only ever used the Switch as a handheld and I think that will be how I will play on the Switch. I am open to trying the different ways to play the Switch but I'm quite happy with it as a handheld. I haven't used/got any of the Amiibos for this game so I'm unable to really say what influence they have in the game.

To conclude my Mini Review of Mario Odyssey it's definitely worth buying. It is suited for all ages and plays homage to the retro version as well so you don't feel you are missing out. I would also say that having an extra twist like adding Cappy takes Mario to a new level. I love that fact there is so much to do after you complete the game and I had more of an urge to continue to play. I don't normally play a game after I complete the story so this was a surprise when I wanted to continue. I am more excited now to see what Nintendo will do next with this franchise. I have to say this is my favourite game on the Switch so far and it's actually making me consider getting one for myself.